songs last for three minutes but i can confess my love in less time
by bobbingformangos
Summary: in which emma does something stupid like confess her love.


You close your eyes as you lean agains the jukebox as if you are trying to bury your head away from the entire room and get lost in the music. Yourleg is moving, foot tapping to the beat, and you block out the entire room as you soak up the music.

Its a song that you are familiar with and you wonder if you are in the perfect state of exhaustion and inebriation that you are only hearing what youwant to hear and not the song you think is truly playing.

It doesn't matter, because your head is down and your foot it tapping, and no one knows that you are so exhausted that you could die right herewithout a care in the world.

It took a lot to defeat Zelena - well, take her magic away because you never wanted to take anything away from Regina.

But even she couldn't see that, probably.

Not when her and the son you share with her are laughing with Robin and his "boy" as they share icecream at the booth in the front of the diner.

People are celebrating and you are drunk with a heart that is shattering because, apparently, it was a good time to accept the love you have fore awoman who was unable to give it back to you.

She shouldn't know.

You aren't selfish.

You never were.

So, you sing quietly to the music and let the sounds of people's excitement turn to something comforting instead of something cringe worthy andyou continue to try to block everything out.

* * *

Except, three minutes later, you are walking out the door and the rain is pouring as if the world was morning the loss of magic in the air, but yourmagic was still there and it was still pretty strong despite how tired you felt.

You weren't running after Regina anymore but instead, she was running after you the moment she saw your hand reach for the golden door knob.

"Emma," she calls out as you are to the gate and she is on the step and her hand is held out as if she could reach you over the eleven feet thatstretches out and, for a moment, you wonder if it could.

Because you realized you have loved her for a lot longer than you liked her or for even longer than you wanted to fuck her but that would mean thatyour love was fated because you wanted to fuck her the moment you saw her and it was starting to give you a head ache.

So, instead, you give her a sheepish grin and sigh in relief that she smiled back and looked less panic.

You loved her, you could see that now, and you really didn't want to cause her any worry.

Regina didn't deserve it.

"Why are you leaving?" She asks you, her hand coming down to rest in the pocket of the leather jacket you loaned her earlier before the battle andher teeth worrying her bottom lip and her voice was more huskier than it was inside.

So you give her another sheepish smile, because apparently you were just like your father (you took comfort in that), and took a step closer to mirrored you, stepping closer, which caused you to move so that you were close enough to put your hand on her arm, if you wanted to.

But you didnt and you stood there and you whispered, "I'm too exhausted to hide, Regina."

And you paused for a moment, your mouth slightly open and your eyes wide and you had to remind yourself to breathe again because you worried ifshe realized what you just said.

Excited she worried and leaned closer and put her hand on your shoulder, "Are you tired? I know today took a lot out of you, Emma."

There was no Miss Swan and this familiarity was too much.

Yet, you let her continue, "Let me tell your parents I'm taking you home."

And then you shook your head because you knew if you let her then the words would fall from your lips and you couldn't ruin her happy ending withyour selfishness.

You couldn't be selfish.

You refused it.

But her hand found your cheek in concern and worry marred her brow and she looked at you as if she could see a universe in your eyes and your lipswere moving before you could stop them.

And you ruined everything, because you were so damn selfish, when you looked Regina Mills in the eyes two minutes after she came outside,chasing after you, and told her, "I'm in love with you."


End file.
